A former Oahu Community Correctional Center state prison guard began serving an 18-month prison term this morning for sexually assaulting a male inmate.

A Circuit Court judge sentenced Ryan Malasig, 44, to five years of probation today for second-degree sexual assault but ordered him to spend the first year-and-a-half behind bars.

The conviction means Malasig will have to register as a sex offender.

Circuit Judge Richard Pollack also ordered Malasig to pay $5,265 restitution to the Sex Abuse Treatment Center for the weekly therapy it has provided the victim and $370 to the victim for related medication.

“Mr. Malasig, you took gross advantage of your position to commit criminal conduct in this case on a very person that you were required to oversee and in a sense, protect,” Pollack said.

The state says Malasig forced the inmate, who lives as a female, to perform oral sex on him on Aug. 23, 2009, at OCCC. The inmate saved DNA from the counter on his shirt and presented it to police when the incident was reported.

Malasig resigned from his job in December 2009, and he was indicted last October.

He pleaded no contest in January.

Deputy City Prosecutor Leilani Young asked Pollack to impose the maximum 10-year prison term because when court officials interviewed Malasig for his presentence report he denied having sex with the inmate. 

However, Malasig admitted his conduct this morning and apologized to the victim and his family members, who were in court, as well as to his own family members who were there.

“It was a bad decision on my part. And I wanted to let you guys know that I’m completely sorry for what had happened,” Malasig said.

In a letter to the court the victim said he has flashbacks and nightmares of the assault, gets depressed and considers suicide.